Papal Academy of the Immaculate Conception

The Pontifical Academy of the Immaculate Conception ( Italian: Pontificia accademia dell'Immacolata ) is a papal academy created to promote the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary ^[1] , which existed in 1847-2012.

The predecessor of the academy was a student club that arose in 1835, which included students from Roman seminaries and the Pontifical Gregorian University . By the decision of the Congregation for Catholic Education, on July 7, 1847, this club was reorganized into the Academy of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( Italian: Accademia di scienze, lettere e arti dell'Immacolata Concezione di Maria Vergine ) with accommodation in the Basilica of Santi Apostoli , nurtured by the Order Franciscan Conventuals . Seven years later, on December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX published the Apostolic Constitution of Ineffabilis Deus, proclaiming the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary as the dogma of faith, which increased the status and significance of the new academy ^[2] .

In 1864, Pope Pius IX granted the Academy of the Immaculate Conception the status of the Pontifical Academy , in which it remained until 2012.

In 1988, Pope John Paul II approved the new Statute of the Academy, which was confirmed in 1995 and proclaimed the Academy's goal to promote and coordinate research in the field of mariology . According to the Charter, the Academy was headed by the president, whose functions were to ensure liaison with the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Papal Academies , and the organization of annual general meetings.

On December 4, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI united the Academy of the Immaculate Conception with the papal academy of mariology with the Rescritto ex Audientia SS.mi rescript.